The Happiness Before You
by nalunatics
Summary: Lucy repressed her feelings for years, tucking them away to be forgotten. She wanted happiness, but as soon as she received it, it was torn away leaving heartbreak. Coping would be hard enough, but when forgotten feelings resurface and feelings bloom; just who's heart holds the happiness that was there all along? And will it cost Lucy a friendship or turn it into something more?
1. Hurt

**A/N: A request I go on tumblr with some minor tweaks set in place. I hope you guys enjoy it… :) It is rated M to be safe for now, but I'm not sure how smutty it will actually get. If you are not over 18, I advise you to not continue reading this fic. Thank you.**

 **Disclaimer: Fairy Tail and all of its characters belong to Hiro Mashima.**

Lucy was at a strange point in her life; no, strange wasn't the right word, it was more like she really, _really_ hadn't expected things to come to _this_. Now, Lucy Heartfilia was no 'sleep around' type of girl, but that didn't stop her from always having an eye on potential suitors. When she was younger, she always imagined being swept off her feet by some prince charming, but when she met Natsu, all of those fantasies flew out the window. A short time after the pink haired boy had brought Lucy to the famous Fairy Tail guild, she had developed a small crush on him. Over the years, and countless times he put himself in danger for her, that crush developed in to something much more. Lucy found herself falling for the reckless dragon slayer, and she hadn't known what to do at the time. She was fairly good at keeping her composure when absolutely necessary, however, her flushed cheeks had a knack of giving her emotions away. Try as she might, Natsu never seemed to show confirming evidence that he shared her feelings for him, so, over time, Lucy decided it was best to tuck those thoughts and emotions into the back corner of her heart, and continue on with her life. That's about all Lucy _had_ been doing lately was leading a rather…. _Mundane_ life.

"Lucy, what's got you looking so down?" Lucy's thoughts were broken by the sweet voice of Mira who was currently leaning over the opposite side of the bar as Lucy.

"Huh? Oh, nothing in particular…" Lucy mumbled into her breakfast. "Hey Mira?" Lucy suddenly decided she was going to ask the older girl for some advice.

"Hm?" Mira hummed back looking at her interestedly.

"Well…" Lucy felt her cheeks flush. "D-do you ever go on dates or just feel a _need_ or _want_ to go on a date?"

"Well, of course. It's a natural thing, no need to get so flustered about it." Mira giggled at Lucy's red cheeks. "Do you have anyone in particular? Anyone from the guild…" Mira waggled her thin eyebrows at Lucy making her laugh slightly.

"I know what you're doing and it's not working~." Lucy teased in a sing-songy voice.

"Aw… Well, what about Natsu?" Mira smirked looking devious, living up to her name _The She-Devil_. Although she knew Mira was only teasing, Lucy winced slightly as thoughts of the dragon slayer popped into her mind.

"I don't think that's an option. Besides, we're just friends anyways." Lucy offered Mira a halfhearted smile.

"But you guys are so close! You two are my favorite pair!" Mira admitted and Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Mira, we're not together. My point is, I don't know… I'd just really like to experience a date once in a while, you know?" Lucy huffed. "And Natsu is _not_ part of that plan." Lucy finished, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well, we'll see. In the mean time, why not go find Cana. I'm sure she can help you out, she can probably set you up on a date." Mira advised and Lucy looked at her nervously.

"Hey, I'm not into that freaky stuff she is." Lucy pointed out and Mira laughed.

"Give her the specifics and she'll work her magic. Literally, she can use her cards to find the best match for you. She may even be on par with me with match making!" Mira smiled and Lucy was slowly beginning to feel as though she were in the looney bin.

"O-okay, I'll go find Cana." It wasn't hard to find the drunkard; she was seated on one of the tables near the bar, chugging away at a literal _barrel_ of alcohol. It was beyond Lucy how she wasn't dead yet.

"Hey, Cana? Can I talk to you for a second?" Lucy asked her friend who eyed her curiously.

"Whoa! Look at these babies!" Cana was suddenly behind Lucy cupping her breasts in both her hands. "It's as if the words on your shirt are literally popping out at me!"

"Ah, Cana!" Lucy protested and wiggled her way out of Cana's grasp just as some of the male guild members put their attention on Lucy's large chest. "Can I talk to you?"

"Sure, what's up hot stuff?" Lucy sighed at Cana's antics; at least Lucy had a friend who was always brutally honest and there to give her a great compliment… or fondle, every once in a while.

"W-well, Mira said that you'd be able to… Um… U-use your cards to set me up on like a date…? With a 'perfect' match?" Lucy questioned her awkwardly and Cana's violet eyes sparkled.

"Oh, you know I can baby!" Cana whipped out her deck of cards and held them in front of her proudly. "Tell me what you're looking for and I'll let the cards speak!"

"Well, alright. Hm… I suppose I'd enjoy being with someone with similar interests as me, you know reading and writing. I do like guys that are on the taller side, and having proper manners would be a plus… But not anyone too, I don't know…. Preppy? I always hated that when I lived back at home… I don't know, let's just see what the cards have to say." Lucy sighed, even she was unsure what she wanted.

"Alright, Luce." Cana laughed and threw a card at the dart board. Lucy noted that, Cana was the only one, other than Natsu, to call her 'Luce'. "Alright, let's see… Aha!" Cana gleefully presented the card to Lucy after plucking it from the corkboard. Lucy studied it, it was like having a playing card for a real human. It had a picture, the guy's name, height, birthday, and a description of him, all on it.

"Wow. This is actually kind of creepy, do I want to know how you get all of this information?" Lucy laughed nervously.

"Nope! Anyways, this is Jeremy. He's nice, but too tame for me, if you know what I mean." Cana winked at her. "Now that you and I know who your supposed 'perfect match' is, that's where the magic comes in! You guys _will_ meet today, trust me. It's kind of like I get to mess with fate."

"Is that a good thing?" Lucy questioned fearfully and Cana laughed.

"This has worked for more people than you know. And hey, if you're looking for a date without putting in a lot of effort, this is the easiest way. But are you sure there isn't someone else in your heart, hm?" Cana nudged Lucy's shoulder and smirked at her.

"I'm sure…" Lucy answered her unconvincingly.

"Hey, just a warning, this isn't fool proof. I know I'm awesome with my cards," Cana grinned as she praised herself, but then looked seriously at Lucy, "But things can work out badly. I'm not sayin' anything serious will happen, but sometimes people just aren't compatible, ya know?"

"Yeah. Thanks Cana!" Lucy smiled at her friend and was about to tuck the card into her back when she heard a, "Yo!" from behind her.

"Luce, what're you guys doin'?" Natsu scampered up to Cana and her, affectively startling Lucy.

"Oh, uh, nothing!" Lucy stammered.

"What's that card?" Natsu asked, eying the thing still clutched in Lucy's hand.

"I set Lucy up on a date. It's her _perfect match_." Cana wiggled her eyebrows mysteriously and then went back to her drinking.

"Lemme see." Natsu demanded and Lucy frowned at him.

"No! It's none of your business, nosey." Lucy proceeded to drop the card successfully into her bag, making Natsu scowl.

"What are you going to Cana for about a date anyways?" Natsu huffed, glaring at her bag that held the mystery man.

"Because sometimes it's nice to go on a date once in a while." Lucy answered him matter-of-factly. "Hey, I'll see you later, 'kay? I need to go run some errands."

"But Luce!" Natsu protested.

"I'll be back soon, I promise!" Lucy called over her shoulder, leaving a sullen looking Natsu. _Sheesh, he's being a bit of a baby today, isn't he?_

"Ugh, that was the worst date _ever_!" Lucy groaned, griping to Mira and Cana.

"What happened?" Mira asked curiously as she filled a mug with a strawberry milkshake for Lucy.

"I met him in the bookstore, you know, like you said Cana, 'by fate'. He was great and everything, but he was _so_ self absorbed I mean oh my _God_! He was as attractive as the picture showed up to be, he had decent manners, he was kind of like a nerdy bad boy, if that makes sense? Anyways, I could have probably gotten over the fact that he only talked about himself for the first forty-five minutes if he didn't, immediately after that, start asking me to come over his place for the night! Ugh, I couldn't get out of that café soon enough…"

"Well, like I said, these things aren't perfect, but that sounds pretty bad. Sorry Lucy." Cana admitted, sipping a beer.

"It's okay, maybe we could try again tomorrow? By the way, thanks for your help you guys." Lucy smiled at the two older girls in front of her appreciatively.

And that's just what Lucy did, she continued to seek help from Mira and Cana, using Cana's cards to find a match. Although, each guy Lucy went somewhere with seemed to hold a ridiculously awful trait that ended the date rather quickly. Lucy had proclaimed, several times, that she was done with dating, and that she never wanted to put the effort in again. But to Lucy's surprise, and bringing her life to a very strange and unexpected point, was when she was out in the center of Magnolia one day doing some shopping. Lucy wasn't looking for anything in particular, just anything that caught her fancy. She suddenly bumped in to someone, or rather, she was bumped in to by someone who was not paying attention, at all, to where he was going.

"Hey, watc-" Lucy began only to be cut off by staring into the kindest blue eyes she had ever seen.

"I-I'm so sorry…" The man muttered, his sandy hair flopping into his eyes so humorously that Lucy couldn't help but let out a giggle.

"I-it's okay, are you alright?" Lucy asked as he finally brushed his hair out of his line of vision.

"I-uh- y-yeah…" The man stuttered, seeming flustered. To Lucy, the guy was adorable. His hair was slightly disheveled so that it stuck up slightly in odd angles. His features were soft, giving him a boyish look, and he had a charming smiling. He had been carrying books with him, and had been staring into an antique bookstore when he collided with Lucy.

"I'm Lucy, by the way." Lucy offered an extended hand to him and he grasped it.

"I'm Wyatt… Sorry, are you okay?"

"Nice to meet you Wyatt. And yes, I'm fine." Lucy let out a small laugh. "Do you like to read?" Lucy questioned motioning to the stack of books in his arms.

"Yes, I'm actually doing some research to write a novel." He admitted sheepishly.

"You're writing a novel? Me too!" Lucy exclaimed a little overenthusiastically, but his face lit up.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I've been working on one for a few years now. I don't know when I'll be done, but I definitely can't wait to publish it." Lucy gushed and Wyatt smiled.

"Well, I wish I had as much drive as you do, I still haven't started mine. But hearing that you've been working on yours for years gives me a new motivation." He laughed, adjusting the weight of the books in his arms.

"I was just about to go in here, want to look around with me?" Lucy asked daringly, gesturing to the antique book store.

"Absolutely. I was heading there myself." Wyatt nodded excitedly and then turned to Lucy with a slight blush dusting his face. "Would you, maybe, want to grab some coffee with me after this?"

"Sure." Lucy beamed at him, following him through the doorway.

 _Four Months Later_

Everything had been like an actual fairy tale for Lucy, no pun intended. She and Wyatt had started dating shortly after their encounter outside of the bookstore, and everything just seemed to be falling in to place. Wyatt was so like her, it made Lucy feel appreciated. He enjoyed books and writing, and was amazed to find out she was one of the few Celestial Spirit mages left. He didn't use magic, but Lucy didn't care, he was sweet and caring. They hadn't done anything _that_ sexual yet other than kiss and explore each other's bodies a bit, but Lucy was so inexperienced that she didn't really mind. She decided to keep their relationship quiet from her friends for the time being, she didn't want to jinx it and have it end badly like all of the previous dates she had gone on. Today, Lucy decided she was going to surprise Wyatt at his apartment. He lived fairly close to her, actually, and it was only five minutes past her own apartment. So, she stopped by her place, grabbing one of her favorite movies and her novel. She was actually going to let him read her most prized possession, she only ever let Levy read it. Lucy figured he appreciated literature and he appreciated her, so there was no harm in letting him in on her big works. It was nice to have someone to give her advice about her writing and talk to about the hardships she's been through, like the passing of her mother. Lucy felt loved and it was just what she needed. She did feel as though she were ignoring her friends, especially Natsu. For some reason she had been avoiding him the most since Wyatt and her had started dating. She felt like she'd hurt his feelings if he found out. _But if he doesn't even like you in that way, how can he be hurt by it? Stupid…_ Lucy thought to herself and quickly shook her head, gathering up her things, and heading out the door. She practically skipped to Wyatt's apartment; she was eager to get his feedback on her writing. When she got to his door, she slipped the hide-away key from underneath the ' _Welcome!_ ' sign next to the front door, and quietly unlocked it. She crept in slowly, she really wanted to surprise him, make him smile like all of the times he had made her smile. She was surprised that none of her friends caught on with all of her goofy smiles and blushing face; all but Levy, who had forced her to tell her why she was "so damn happy", had not noticed anything different. As Lucy placed her things in the common room, she suddenly her strange noises coming from Wyatt's bedroom. It was a grunting type noise, sometimes groans. Afraid that Wyatt had injured himself, Lucy rushed to his bedroom only to let out a surprised yelp. There, on his bed lay Wyatt with another girl bouncing up and down on his lower half making it quite obvious what they were doing.

" _Wyatt_?" Lucy gasped in horror. Her boyfriend lay there, slack jawed and moaning, suddenly perked up, his eyes meeting Lucy's.

"Lucy?" He managed to squeak out breathlessly, practically shoving the girl off of him. "I-it's not what it looks like!"

"Oh, really?" Lucy shouted sarcastically as hot tears began slipping down her cheeks. "That's the oldest one in the book, you should know that." Lucy spat and glared at him and the girl.

"I-I'm sorry, I had no idea…" The mystery girl stammered looking horrified, wrapping a blanket over her naked form. Lucy didn't even entertain the girl's words, silently picking up her belongings and heading out the door, heading no where in particular. _I can't go to my apartment; he'll find me there. I'll go to the guild; he won't have the balls to step foot in there._ Lucy thought bitterly; her eyes releasing angry and heartbroken tears. _Why can't I have the happiness I deserve?_


	2. One Magic

Lucy rushed into the guild, not caring who saw her as the mess she was. Luckily, it was Levy who first came and rushed to her side.

"Lu-chan? What's wrong?" Lucy collapsed into the comfort of her friend's arms, and wept into her shoulder. Levy stroked her hair gently after leading her to a seat. "What happened, Lu?"

"I-it's awful… I-I don't k-know what I d-did wrong!" Lucy sobbed not caring if she was causing a scene in the middle of the hall.

"What? Does it have something to do with Wyatt?" Levy asked the second part in a hushed voice and all Lucy did was nod. Levy squeezed her tightly, comforting Lucy without much else conversation.

"What's happened?" Erza asked quickly as she joined them having just gotten back from her solo mission. "Is she hurt."

"Probably." Levy answered dramatically. If the situation was different, Lucy might have even laughed, but the truth was, Lucy was hurt. She was hurting, her heart was hurting, she felt broken and betrayed.

"How are you holding up, Lucy?" Levy whispered to her gently. Lucy's tears had ebbed leaving her under eyes puffed up and red.

"I have horrible luck I guess." Lucy muttered.

"Why is love rival upset?" Juvia questioned, her voice laden with concern, but Lucy winced.

"I'm no one's _love rival_. I'm not even any one's _love_." Lucy bit back a little more harshly than intended, and Juvia's mouth clamped shut. "Sorry Juvia. I'm not mad at you."

"Whoa, whoa what's going on here?" Cana looked sternly at the group of girls and Lucy's tear stained face; Mira bringing over a cup of hot chocolate behind her.

"Hey, giver her some space guys." Levy motioned for them all to back up and Lucy gave a small smile, graciously accepting the warm mug from Mira.

"I-it's okay, Lev." Lucy croaked out.

"Why don't we all head over to my place? Get you cleaned up and we can talk about it in private." Levy suggested, rubbing Lucy's shoulders supportively.

"Thanks, I'd like that." Lucy admitted and she got up, leaning on Levy's shoulder. Lucy was one to want to be surrounded by her friends when she was down. She didn't have any family to go to, so the guild had become her family.

"You girls go on ahead, I need to stay here and tend to things, but feel better Lucy. If you ever need anything, let me know." Mira gave her a sympathetic smile and Lucy thanked her with a small smile. Lucy would be in for a long night, but at least her friends would be by her side.

 _Natsu's POV_

Just as Natsu was entering the guild, he saw the girls in a clump, heading out. To his alarm, Lucy was in the middle of them being supported by Levy. He smelled the salty tears that stained her cheeks, and heard her ragged breath from having been crying. He was about to rush over to her, but stopped himself, earning a confused look from Happy. _No, she's with her friends… Besides, she doesn't need me. She's got whatever asshole that she's been hanging around with for comfort. Still, I hope she's okay… I miss you Lucy…_ Natsu frowned at the ground and shook his head.

"Are you okay, Natsu?" Happy questioned him and Natsu shot him a half smile.

"Yeah, I'm alright, buddy."

"Was Lucy crying?" Happy eyed him in worry.

"I think so." Natsu sighed and pushed open the front door of the guild.

"I hope she's okay… Natsu?"

"Yeah, Happy?"

"I miss hanging out with Lucy." Happy hung his head and floated sullenly next to Natsu.

"Me too, buddy, me too…" Natsu gradually relaxed as he took in the familiar surroundings of the guild hall. As dusk approached, the guild glowed slightly from the lanterns hung around the walls, and the darkening of the day outside. Happy perked up soon after entering and went straight for Carla, bidding Natsu a brief farewell. Natsu decided to pry a bit, he couldn't shake the feeling that something bad had happened to Lucy, and whether she was going to avoid him or not, he still cared deeply for her. He cared about her more than she knew, more than anyone knew. Only Happy had an inkling of what Natsu truly felt about Lucy. Lucy was his whole world, he would do anything for her, he had never felt the way about anyone the way he felt about her. It was almost pathetic how hopelessly… What was it called? Hopelessly _in love_ with Lucy he was. Though, he'd never admit it. He wasn't even sure it was true, it's not like he really cared about relationships, he never had. But if he had to chose, if he didn't have Lucy, he probably would never end up with anyone. He couldn't see himself living his life loving someone else other than Lucy. So, Natsu made his way over to the bar where Mira stood, angrily scrubbing a stubborn spot on the wood, and took a seat across from her.

"Hey, Mira." Natsu greeted the white haired barmaid and she shot up.

"Natsu! You startled me, how are you?" Mira gave him her ever sweet smile, and Natsu sighed.

"Nothin' much. I actually wanted to ask ya about Lucy." Natsu admitted, rubbing his neck nervously for some reason.

"I figured you would." Mira murmured quietly. "Ask away."

"Is she okay?" Natsu blurted out, all of the concern in his heart poured into those three words.

"Sometimes it's hard to comprehend how kind you actually are, Natsu." Mira smiled at him and he stared at her in slight confusion, but she continued. "I think she will be okay. She seems to be… Heartbroken at the moment."

"Why?" Natsu questioned in bewilderment.

"Even I don't know that. _At least not yet_." Mira's eyes flashed dangerously for a moment.

"Do you… Do you know why she's been avoiding me so much? I-I've barely spent any time with her in months… I can't stand it." Natsu confided in Mira. For some reason he always felt comfortable talking to Mira about these things, he wouldn't be caught dead talking to any of the guys about it.

"I think Lucy's been having a hard time figuring out what she wants. Give her some time. I know you care a lot about her, don't you Natsu?" Mira smiled deviously at him and Natsu ducked his head away from her.

"Dunno what you mean." Natsu spoke almost inaudibly into his shoulder.

"Do you like Lucy, Natsu?" Mira pried seeming to enjoy Natsu's squirming. "What about _love_ her, hm?"

"Ugh, can you get me some of that fire stuff?" Natsu gestured to the spiced alcohol on the wall behind Mira.

"Whatever you say. You two will be together in the end, even if it kills me." Mira muttered the last part under her breath, but Natsu caught it and glared down at the table. _That's pretty hard when she won't even look at me…_

 _Lucy's POV_

"…and I just walk in, and she's on top of him just-just _fucking_ him." Lucy spat out, new angry tears overflowing from her eyes. "The best part is, he never even told her that he had a girlfriend. She had the nerve to say ' _sorry_ ' to me! I don't know what I did to deserve this fucking bullshit!" Lucy cried out. She usually wasn't one to use such vulgar words, but the situation had Lucy at her limits. She was no saint, but Lucy thought even Cana looked surprised at the string of profanities that rand from her mouth. "Anyways, I'm sorry I never told any of you guys, but I just didn't want to jinx it like the other times things didn't work out. Clearly it didn't matter, it was going to get fucked up anyway…"

"What a dick bag. I have half a mind to go kick his ass right now." Cana scowled at nothing in particular.

"Yes, if I ever see him…." Erza's expression darkened, and even Lucy felt frightened at the thought of getting Erza's wrath.

"Are you feeling alright, Lucy?" Juvia asked kindly, a sympathetic hand placed on her knee.

"Yeah, I think I'm okay… I just, I didn't think that would happen. We really seemed to get along, he was such a nice guy… You never peg the nice ones to do something like-like _that_." Lucy spat out, the thought of what Wyatt did sickened her. "And who knows how many other times he's done that. I'm sure it wasn't the first, he looked _well acquainted_ with her." Lucy's face soured at the image of the women slamming her boyfriend's dick into her.

"Forget about him, he doesn't deserve you." Cana took a swig from a beer bottle offering Lucy one of her own which Lucy happily accepted.

"We're all sorry this happened, but you know we'll always be here for you." Levy assured her and Lucy smiled.

"I know. Thank you guys." Lucy gave them all a warm smile; it was the happiest she had felt all day. "I'm never going to speak to that piece of shit again." With that, Lucy began to drink the beer Cana had given her, determined to forget about those damn blue eyes.

"At least we all have each other. Who needs stupid boys anyways?" Levy giggled, and the other girls joined in on the drinking as well.

"We don't!" They chorused, though deep down, Lucy knew that each one of them had their hearts saved for a certain someone. Maybe Lucy did too, and she just didn't know. As the night drew on, the girls gradually started to fall asleep. Lucy was so grateful to have had them all by her side to help her get through her hardships. She couldn't believe, over the past four months, she had been neglecting her friends for _Wyatt._ Lucy was dosing, her eyes still puffy and red, but the tears had stopped falling.

"Hey, Luce." Cana whispered to her right.

"Yeah?" Lucy answered in a quiet voice and on the verge of sleep.

"I just wanted to tell you something… I don't know if it'll make you feel better or not, but I feel like you should know it." Cana explained and Lucy's consciousness returned fully for the moment.

"What is it?"

"Well, I've been using my cards for match making for a while… I kind of do it on the side to make some extra money, gotta pay for the booze somehow… Anyways, I've seen a lot happen with this shit. Now, I usually don't care about what happens to the randos' that decide to seek out my match making skills, but since it's you, of course I care. I know that I didn't use my cards for Wyatt, but the same sort of rule applies for love." Cana stared at her for a moment to see if Lucy was following along and Lucy nodded for her to continue. "Well, the reason some times the cards don't work is, the people looking for the "perfect match" are just avoiding what's right in front of them. In other words, when the person on the card doesn't end up your soul mate, it's more than likely because the person asking for my card's help already has someone in their heart. Someone that they love beyond anything and the cards are just an escape from the reality that they face. My point is, even if you find this "love" on your own, but you have someone that you hold dearly, and care about more than anything else, that love isn't going to work out. It's the one true, natural magic that this world has. Love is ruthless and love is kind. It's unforgiving, and has no boundaries. Maybe I'm just going off of a hunch here, but I think the reason why none of the other dates worked out was because you were thinking about someone else the whole time. Comparing those guys to who's in your _heart_. What Wyatt did was fucked, but even if he was the best boyfriend ever and didn't cheat on you, and I'm not trying to sound like a bit but, I think you would have found yourself unhappy. Does this make sense? Sorry if I'm rambling, I-I just thought that I'd let you know…" Cana trailed off and Lucy stared at her, eyes wide and mouth slightly parted in amazement. What Cana said made so much sense, Lucy felt stupid for not seeing it before everything happened. Of course Lucy knew the One Magic was love, but she never thought it could work the opposite way, to push people away that were no good.

"No, Cana, you make perfect sense… I get it now… I just don't know what to do about it to be honest." Lucy admitted; she didn't necessarily want to believe that the person in her heart that she was undoubtedly in love with didn't love her back.

"Hey, I'm not going to pressure you into telling me who you've got in that big, beautiful chest of yours, but this information is yours to do whatever with. It's the same for everyone, me included. But I think I have an idea who you've got tucked away in your mind." Cana smirked down at her affectionately as Lucy bushed.

"Truth is; I don't even know if I'm ready for another relationship. I just… Who knows if this will happen again? How can I trust anyone?"

"When you find the right person, you'll know. If they truly love you, they won't put you through the pain. And if all else fails, you can sic Erza on them." Cana laughed making Lucy chuckle slightly. "But seriously, you know I'm not into the mushy gushy stuff, but once you find your "perfect match", you'll feel safe and loved. You won't even need to use my card magic. It's a scam for the chumps anyways." Cana scoffed. "Not for you though! I was really trying to find you some good ones, but well, you know how it goes…" Lucy laughed and put a hand on Cana's head.

"Thanks, Cana, I appreciate it. I understand what you're saying, and honestly, I'm glad this happened. I wouldn't want to have stayed with him long term and find out later having wasted my life on him."

"Damn straight." Cana smiled. Shortly after that the two fell asleep. Lucy ended up having a restful and peaceful sleep. _Natsu, I miss you… I'm so sorry…_


	3. A Confrontation Or Two

**A/N: By all means, leave me reviews! I want to know what you guys are thinking. I know you guys are probably like, "where's the nalu?", "we demand the smut we were promised!". Be patient, I assure you, it is coming soon! Anyways, thank you for reading, favoriting, following, and reviewing! 3**

 _Natsu's POV_

Natsu had been having a rough night of sleep, he couldn't rest knowing Lucy was so upset knowing that it was probably something to do with that douchebag she had been hanging out with.

"Ugh," He muttered into the darkened room of he and Happy's home. "This _blows_." Grumbling under his breath, Natsu slipped from his hammock and made his way to the bathroom. After splashing water on his warm skin, he stared at his reflection in the mirror. He hadn't notice, but he had neglected to shave off the growing scruff on his jaw and chin. Natsu laughed to himself thinking he was starting to look like Gildarts in a way. He once again opted out of taking the time to shave his face and decided to glare at himself in the mirror for no other reason than because he was awake at the ungodly hour.

"Well, there's no point in sleeping if all I'm gonna do is roll around…" Natsu sighed. He scribbled a messy note to Happy saying that he'd be back in the morning in the morning and to meet him at the guild, and then took off out the door and into the chilly night air. His scarf was wrapped tightly around his throat and he wore his regular, white, baggy pants, but was adorned in a tight black tank top instead of his vest. His feet had subconsciously carried him on the path to Lucy's apartment. He usually always ended up here in the middle of the night anyway; when he couldn't sleep, he'd creep up through the window and snuggle in Lucy's bed with her. Of course that earned him a kick in the face in the morning, but Natsu thought every bit of it was worth it. Lately, Natsu hadn't stopped by at all. He had distanced himself from Lucy, just as she had done to him. Ever since he started smelling the other guy on her, he knew something wasn't right. She never mentioned having a boyfriend, or spending time with someone else. She was just always really happy and she'd go missing for a couple hours here or there, saying that she was going to "run errands". Natsu wasn't buying it. He had seen the creep once or twice when he decided to follow Lucy a few times. To Natsu, the guy looked like a tool, a total wimp. He didn't know why Lucy would choose to be with someone like _that_ , but it's not like he was in any place to say anything. Plus, she would have killed him if she found out he had been following her. Natsu had done what he thought was best; stopped asking her on missions as frequently, stopped making night visits, stopped asking her to hang out with Happy and him, and basically stopped talking to her all together. It broke his heart to do so, but Lucy seemed so happy, he wasn't going to be the one to change that. Natsu thought, if Lucy could be happy without him, then why couldn't he be happy without her? It's not like she _knew_ how he felt, and it wasn't like she shared those feelings. She clearly had no attraction for him otherwise he was certain that something would have came up. Besides, Lucy's always bragging about her sex appeal, not that he hadn't noticed long ago, but surely she would have been the one to bring up going on a date with him? Was _he_ supposed to just do it? Had he missed a chance he didn't even know was there? Natsu shook his head angrily as if to shake the thoughts right out of his brain. _Who cares. Nothing will happen now anyways, all I can do is be a friend to Lucy. Anyone who hurts her is an enemy of me…_ And with that thought, Natsu scaled the side of her apartment and let himself in through the window. Lucy was obviously not home that night and the room was dark. Her bed was ruffled from her sleep the night before, and papers were scattered across her desk probably from late night writing. Natsu headed over to the bed and sat down gently, smoothing out the wrinkled bed sheets. The first thing that hit his nose was Lucy's sweet scent. It comforted him and he reclined back onto her bed. It was then that he smelled _that guy's_ scent mixing with _his_ Lucy's. It truly repulsed him. The thought of him sharing a bed with her made him sick; she wouldn't even let him sleep there without making a fuss about it. The thought of him having his hands on Lucy, touching her in places that Natsu couldn't even imagine touching. The fact that she seemed to trust that guy _more_ than himself made Natsu nauseous. Natsu childishly grasped the blankets and wrapped them around himself; he wanted _his_ scent to be on the sheets. _His_ scent to mix with Lucy's. Natsu tried to ignore the fading pungent smell of the other guy, and eventually drifted off into the peaceful sleep he couldn't find in his own home.

 _Lucy's POV_

Lucy woke up refreshed and actually feeling pretty happy. The girls had been great the night before and had really lifted her spirits. She barely even thought of Wyatt other than to think of various was of murdering him. Figuratively of course. Fairy Hills, where the rest of the girls lived, had a huge bath house on the bottom floor, that Lucy took full advantage of. She needed the pampering and enjoyed the company of her friends. After bidding them all farewell and a promise to be at the guild later, she set off for her apartment to gather her things for the day and a new change of clothes. It was a beautiful day and Lucy was enjoying the weather. The scent of cherry blossoms filler her nose as she walked along the edge of the canal; the men that were usually out in their boat calling and telling her to be careful. Lucy waved to them and eventually made it up the stairs to her apartment. For having been cheated on the previous day, Lucy was feeling exceptionally chipper. As she unlocked the door of her apartment and made her way to her bedroom, she stopped short as she saw a human sized lump under her sheets.

"What the hell?" Lucy exclaimed, grabbing her keys in case she needed to defend herself. Said "lump" stirred and Lucy finally saw a tuft of pink hair poke out from the top of the blankets. " _Natsu_?" Natsu's head suddenly popped up in alarm. His hair was stuck up at odd angles, and his face looked surprised, as if she was the unexpected guest.

"Lucy!" He gasped and scrambled up only to get tangled in the sheets, cursing until Lucy broke out into giggles.

"What are you doing her?" Lucy questioned him; she had missed spending time with Natsu, though it was her own fault.

"I-uh-well…" He stammered and stood up, a sheet still wrapped around his torso. Lucy couldn't help noticing that he wasn't in his usual vest and the black tank top that he sported suited him, and his muscles, _very_ well. "I-I couldn't sleep last night so I went for a walk and I guess I ended up… Here. I'm sorry, Luce…" He mumbled feebly, looking defeated. "I'm gonna get going, sorry. I shouldn't have broken in again."

"N-no, Natsu, wait! I-it's okay… I actually wanted to… To talk to you, if that's okay?" Lucy asked timidly. She didn't know how he felt about her practically ignoring him for four months, but she felt awful.

"Wait, are you okay?" A sudden fire shone in Natsu's eyes, his voice laden in concern, and finally ripping the sheet that constricted him, off. He stood there, his arms crossed over his chest and his pants, noticeably, slipping a little lower on his hips than they should be. "I saw you cryin' yesterday."

"O-oh… Yeah, I guess I'm alright… That's partially why I wanted to talk to you, more like apologize…" Lucy admitted feeling small.

"I know you have a boyfriend; I could smell him on you." Natsu's nose wrinkled in disgust.

"Oh." Was all Lucy croaked out. Of course Natsu already knew, why didn't she think about the fact that he could probably smell Wyatt on her. "I don't have one anymore anyways." This seemed to shock Natsu momentarily, and his gaze softened.

"What happened?" Natsu grunted out and Lucy avoided his gaze.

"I-I want to apologize…" Lucy began and tears began pooling in her eyes alarming Natsu. "I-I'm so sorry for being such a shitty friend. I n-never meant t-to ignore you. I'm such a bad friend! I'm so sorry, Natsu." Lucy sobbed and Natsu brought her into a tight hug close to his chest.

"It's okay." He rumbled out, his voice vibrating Lucy's ear that was pressed to his chest. "You're not a bad friend. But I missed ya." Natsu chuckled lightly making Lucy only cry harder. She clutched on to him almost pathetically; she didn't deserve Natsu. She ignored him when something seemingly better came along.

"I-I am… I'm a coward, and it was all for nothing anyways…" Lucy whimpered and Natsu pushed her gently away from his body, and held her at arms length.

"Tell me what happened." Natsu instead and that's what Lucy did. She told him how Wyatt had been great at first, much to Natsu's chagrin, and then how he disgustingly cheated on her. Natsu's expression hardened, and it looked like he was literally fuming, but he continued to listen to Lucy intently.

"The whole thing made me ignore my friends… Especially you. For some reason I thought it would hurt you if you knew." Lucy confessed and she could have sworn she saw Natsu flinch slightly. "Either way, I'm sorry."

"Why did you even start going to Cana about getting a date anyways?" Natsu wondered quietly, staring up at her with a cool, stony gaze.

"Honestly, I just wanted someone to care about me…" Lucy answered.

"What do you mean? You have a bunch of people at the guild that care about you. _I_ care about you." He stressed himself and Lucy looked at him appreciatively.

"Not in that way, Natsu. I wanted someone to care about me, and love me. Romantically. It's not necessary, but a lot of people reach a point in their life where they crave um…. Intimacy…" Lucy felt embarrassed, as if she were giving the sex talk to her child. Just as Natsu opened his mouth to respond, that was a small knock at the door, startling them both.

"Expecting company?" Natsu muttered.

"No, didn't expect to find you here either." Lucy chuckled slightly trying to ease the tension in the room. Lucy made her way over to her front door and slowly opened it only to tense when she saw who was at her door. _Wyatt._

"What are you doing here?" Lucy practically snarled and the boy flinched.

"I just wanted to talk to you… I wanted to tell you how sorry I was." He explained, pleading with his large blue eyes.

"I don't think I really want to talk to you ever again." Lucy stated, looking up at him angrily. "How could you do _that_? What did I do to deserve it?" Lucy felt tears prick at her eyes, but was soon comforted by the presence of Natsu on her other side.

"Looks like we have a sniveling little weasel at the door." Natsu growled and Wyatt gulped slightly and then straightened up.

"Who's this, Lucy?"

"It's Natsu, remember? My best friend? I told you about him before." Lucy glared at him and Wyatt frowned.

"I-I'd like to talk to Lucy alone, please." Wyatt stammered; Natsu didn't move an inch.

"I'm good. You guys can carry on though." Natsu shrugged, crossing his arms, and placing his cold glare.

"Yes, let's. I think I deserve an answer as to why you decided to _cheat_ on me with some girl he seemed to be rather _friendly_ with you. Or, I should say, friendly enough that she was on your dick." Lucy was boiling with anger and hatred; she was beyond crying over this pathetic excuse of a person.

"It was a mistake." Wyatt winced at her words. "Sh-she's an old friend, we had a thing a long time ago and-"

"Do you really think I give a shit who she actually is? Do you think that it'll make things better? What kind of person are you? I let you into my life, become _personal_ with me, and this is what I get in return?"

"She surprised me, I didn't know she'd just suddenly show up." Wyatt protested and Lucy glared at him.

"So you just let anyone fuck you that shows up at your door unannounced? Or had you already been in contact with her before this?" Lucy snarled and she could have sworn even Natsu recoiled from her words.

"I admit I started talking to her again a little while ago. We bumped into each other and got to talking… We hadn't seen each other in a couple years… She came over yesterday, I thought we could just hangout, spend some time together. _As friends_. But I didn't realize what she had in mind… One thing lead to another and she started kissing me. I-I guess I was weak, I had a very weak moment. But she wants nothing to do with me anyways. After I told her we had been dating she was furious that I hadn't told her. I thought she just wanted to be friends, but it turns out she wanted more than that." Lucy could have almost laughed if she wasn't so furious. Natsu scoffed from behind her and Wyatt actually had the audacity to shoot him a scowl.

"Better watch yourself." Natsu practically sang as he suddenly sparked up fire between his fingers, letting it dance at the tips. "Or things are gonna get real heated." Wyatt visibly gulped, Lucy knew he usually wasn't used to being around wizards, she was really the only one that he had daily contact with.

"So, am I supposed to feel bad for you because now both she and I don't want anything to do with you? Because I don't. You're a disgusting pig and you deserve this. If you're in a relationship you put _trust_ in the other person to _not_ do something like this to them! You _never_ should break that trust between you and your partner. How dare you do that to me, I didn't deserve this, I deserve to be happy!" Lucy shouted at him in the doorway.

"Can we work something out? I promise, I will never do this again. I will never hurt you, I swear it on your mother's gra-" _Slap_. Lucy put as much force as she could behind smacking Wyatt right across the cheek. So much so that he stumbled backward, holding his flaming red cheek.

"Don't you _dare_ use my mother in _anything_ that you say." Lucy spat and heard Natsu take in a sharp inhale, more than likely attempting to hold himself back. "No, we're _not_ going to work something out. I'm through with you."

"Luce, please-" It was Natsu who then flew past Lucy and pinned Wyatt to the wall behind him. Natsu had both fists full of Wyatt's shirt and propped him up on the wall, glaring at him menacingly, his fingertips searing holes through his shirt.

"I think Lucy gave you her answer you little shit. You better get out of here before you get hurt real bad. You disgust me. You were lucky enough to _get_ Lucy, and now you're stupid enough to let her go. You're pathetic and deserve to get your shit kicked in. But I know Lucy would probably kill me if I turned your ass into a pile of ash right outside her door, you know, because even after all of this, she still wouldn't wish you harm. So, I suggest you take your wimpy ass and go crawl back under whatever rock you came out from." Natsu spat and shoved Wyatt away from him, stepping back inside Lucy's apartment. "I'm glad I was here, wouldn't need ya trying any stupid shit while I was gone."

"Natsu…" Lucy whispered out, awestricken by Natsu's actions. Wyatt looked as though he was going to start crying as he smoothed out his shirt that now had ten burnt holes in it.

"I should have never gotten involved with someone like you. All you wizards are the same. _Monsters._ " He croaked out and Lucy's gaze hardened. She had to hold Natsu back from literally killing the guy right then and there.

"Get the fuck out of my face you bastard!" Natsu roared at him and Wyatt ran like a little kid getting scolded by his parent. Lucy quickly shut the door, eager to forget about the four months wasted on a pathetic person like him.

 _Natsu's POV_

Natsu's blood was boiling. He probably could have killed the guy and not feel any remorse about it, but he knew that was not the proper way of handling things.

"Ugh! What a piece of shit! If I get my hands on him again…"

"Thank you, Natsu." Natsu then looked down at Lucy having been momentarily dazed by the fire of the fight. She was looking at him with such adoration that he knew he would probably get one of those pesky blushes plastered on his cheeks.

"For what?"

"For being you. And for helping me with Wyatt even though you probably should be mad at me right now. Probably should be hating me for being such an awful friend." Lucy murmured and Natsu scoffed.

"You're so weird, Luce. 'Course I don't hate ya. I never could. I can't believe that bastard called you _Luce_. You're only _my_ _Luce_." Natsu then realized he said that out loud and flushed, but Lucy giggled.

"Ah, I don't deserve you as a friend, Natsu." Lucy sighed and leaned into him for a hug.

"Don't say that. I'll always be your friend." Natsu whispered and placed his lips on the top of her head.

"Natsu?"

"Hm?"

"Did you really mean it when you said… Wyatt was _lucky_ to have me?" Lucy asked timidly and Natsu looked down at her in confusion.

"He was damn lucky to have you." Natsu confirmed with a stern look. _Anyone would be lucky to have you, you weirdo…_

"You're too nice to me…" Lucy exhaled and relaxed into their embrace once again. "I know you probably don't really care, but I'm glad I never went to far with him. If you know what I mean. He didn't deserve it."

"You didn't?" Natsu said quickly in a high pitched voice, more eagerly than he intended. "I mean, you didn't?" He asked awkwardly once more in a more level voice and Lucy laughed.

"No. I'm saving _that_ for someone special. Oh my god I can't believe I'm talking about this with you…" Lucy laughed slightly, and Natsu saw her pink tinted cheeks.

"He shouldn't be touchin' you anyways." Natsu stated gruffly and they pulled apart. Lucy patted his cheek lightly.

"You're a good one." Lucy smiled genuinely up at him and Natsu felt as though he may melt into a puddle right there, on the spot. Lucy's hand remained on his cheek, her skin was so soft, he found himself leaning into her touch. It was then that he was being pulled down slightly by Lucy, he eyes determined, holding an emotion he couldn't quite put his finger on. Natsu inclined willingly until his face was centimeters from hers. Lucy was the once to close the gap between them, tentatively brushing her lips against his own. The feeling was like an electric jolt, he instantly wanted more, fully pressing his lips against hers, steadying the kiss. The hand that was on his cheek moved to his hair where Lucy tugged at his pink locks, and pulled him closer to her, deepening the kiss. Natsu tilted his head instinctively, and wrapped his arms around her torso pulling her flush against his body. Lucy let a small, satisfying squeak escape her mouth, and Natsu smiled slightly against her lips. This was nothing like Natsu pictured it happening. In fact, he never actually imagined being intimate with Lucy _would_ happen. He brought a hand up, stroking the side of her face as their noses pressed into one another's face. All Natsu could smell was Lucy. She was the sweetest of smells, and it did something to him so strange, he wasn't sure what to do about it. _I guess I'm… Aroused? How embarrassing…_ Natsu cringed as he felt his pants tighten with every movement Lucy made over his front. Suddenly, Lucy wasn't kissing him anymore, and she was backing away from him, her cheeks flushed and her breath coming out in pants as his own was.

"I-I'm so sorry." Lucy stammered out.

"No, it's-" Natsu started, as he awkwardly shifted his posture to make sure his arousal wasn't noticeable.

"I shouldn't have done that. I can't do this to you, Natsu. I-I'm really sorry. I really shouldn't have done that." Lucy rambled on, her voice quavering from embarrassment.

"Why?" Natsu asked simply, but Lucy shook her head.

"I need to go. I'm sorry. This is my fault. I'll see you later." Lucy rushed out the door of her own apartment leaving Natsu standing there in bewilderment, slightly hurt, and now a half boner.

"What the hell?" Natsu hissed out into the empty room. "Was it really that bad?"


	4. Interruption

**A/N: Thank you for the great suggestions in your reviews. I hope you guys continue to read this and like it. :)**

Lucy's heart beat madly against her ribs as she ran as far away from her own apartment as she could. _I can't believe I just kissed Natsu, I'm so stupid! What, he's there supporting you and you jump him for just being nice? Pathetic!_ Lucy was angry at herself. She had probably just confused the hell out of her best friend, and to make matters worse, she made their entire friendship awkward.

"I fucked up. Really, _really_ badly." Lucy sighed to herself as she finally stopped running, finding herself in the middle of South Gate Park. Lucy needed time to think about what she did, she had no idea what to say to Natsu, he probably hated her right now or at least felt really shitty.

"Lucy?" Hearing a voice behind her, Lucy quickly spun around, and to her relief, it was Levy. It seemed as though she were walking the part with Gajeel. "Why do you look so… Panicked?"

"Uh…" Lucy didn't know what to tell her friend, it was either all or nothing, and she could trust Levy, but she was with Gajeel at the moment. Lucy's eyes instinctively shot up to the brawny man walking over to the two girls, and Levy's face lit up with understanding.

"Hey, Gajeel," Levy turned on her heel, addressing said man making him look down at her.

"Sup, bunny girl." Gajeel grunted, shooting a look at Lucy and then back down at Levy. "Yeah, shrimp?" Levy scowled slightly, her brows creasing.

"Would you mind meeting me back at the guild? I'm going to talk to Lucy for a bit." Levy questioned him and Gajeel eyed them suspiciously, and then shrugged.

"If ya want." He agreed and Levy beamed at him.

"Thanks!" With that, he sauntered off, shooting one last look over his shoulder before reaching the cobblestone.

"So, was this a date or…" Lucy quickly queried, gesturing between Levy and where Gajeel had just stood.  
"Uh… Well…" Levy wrung her hands together looking nervous, slightly smiling.

"You don't need to answer that!" Lucy laughed and Levy breathed out a sigh.

"Thanks, Lu. Anyways, I know something's up so spill it." Levy demanded, crossing her arms over her small frame.

"Ugh, I _may_ have kissed Natsu, and I don't know what to do about it..!" Lucy said quickly and Levy gasped.

" _What_? How the hell did that happen?" She squealed and Lucy hushed her.

"After I left your place, I went to my apartment to get changed and get ready for the day, and who do I see in my bed? Natsu! And so, I talked to him about Wyatt…" Lucy's voice got quiet at the thought. "I apologized for ignoring him so much, I was such an awful friend. Of course Natsu's like, beyond nice about everything and said it was okay… He said he missed hanging out with me, which it's not like I'd object spending more time with him again."

"So… You jumped him right there… For being nice?" Levy assumed and Lucy frowned.

"No! Wyatt showed up." Lucy revealed and Levy gasped.

"No freaking way! What a dick, what happened?" Levy looked like she was watching a soap opera unfold right before her eyes.

"Yeah, the idiot just showed up. He tried to get me to feel _bad_ for him because the bitch he was having sex with didn't want to talk to him. He wanted a second chance and to talk things out." Levy's face shone with disgust. "You know Natsu, he's a hot head, no pun intended, but he was being surprisingly civil about the whole thing. Anyway, I obviously told him no and to piss off, but the guy wouldn't take the hint! That's when Natsu stepped in, I'm surprised Wyatt didn't piss his pants. He told Wyatt he was _lucky_ to have had me and that he was an idiot for doing what he did… I-I was just so amazed by Natsu… He just never ceases to amaze me, Levy." Lucy admitted shyly and Levy smirked.

"So, you're just realizing this now…? Lucy! It's almost painfully obvious that Natsu would do anything for you!" Levy pointed out and Lucy huffed.

"Levy I _know_ that, that's the problem! I've put these feelings behind me… A long time ago, and now… I don't even know what's going on!" Lucy fretted and Levy looked at her in surprise.

"Wow, I didn't think you'd actually admit that you have feelings for Natsu. How long ago did this start, and yes I am mad you never told me." Levy inquired with a devious look.

"Ugh, where do I begin… It was hard _not_ to have a crush on Natsu when he first brought me to the guild. I don't know, I crushed on him for a bit, even had some pretty weird fantasies about us getting married…. But that's for another time. Then I started realizing 'hey, maybe I actually _do_ like him'. I just never really did much about it because well… Natsu's Natsu and he never showed any interest in me. Or anyone for that matter." Lucy explained and Levy shook her head.

"You poor, poor soul. You wouldn't know flirting even if it were right under your nose, Lu!" Levy exclaimed and Lucy looked at her quizzically. "There have been _so_ many times where Natsu has shown his affection for you, he just does it in a 'Natsu way'. Does that make sense?" Lucy had a sense of bewilderment; she couldn't remember _any_ time Natsu had ever really flirted with her.

"I don't think I follow you all the way… I know Natsu is… Different with the way he does things, but I don't remember him ever _flirting_ with me."

"What about when he ripped up a freakin' tree for you? Lucy, you should have seen how upset he was that you were sick for the Sakura Festival! There's loads more, I'm sure, but I don't stalk your personal life of anything… My point is, I think you're being stubborn." Levy concluded and Lucy felt even more confused than before.

"Look, my point is, I may have had feelings for Natsu before, but I'm not sure now. I care about him a lot and he's one of my best friends, but I'm pretty sure I kissed him just because he was comforting me… You know like how people in accidents can fall in love with their savior? Natsu helped me with Wyatt, he made me feel better… I feel like shit because now I did that and he's going to think it's something more, but it's almost like just a rebound." Lucy stressed feeling sick. "I don't want him to hate me." She whimpered and Levy eyed her curiously.

"I understand what you're saying, but I hate to break it to you, but Natsu will _never_ be _your_ rebound. You have too much respect for him, too many feelings for him. Even if you don't want to admit it." Levy stated. "Look, you can figure it out in your own way, but I just want you to understand that because you're my friend and you're a better person than one looking for a rebound in your best friend." Levy smiled at her.

"I guess you're right, Lev…" Lucy exhaled heavily.

"One more thing, Lu, don't ignore him any more than you need too…. He's been really upset since you started dating Wyatt. You can see it on his face…" Levy advised as she turned toward the guild. Lucy's stomach lurched at the thought of making her best friend upset. _What a horrible friend I've been…_

 _Natsu's POV_

Natsu didn't bother going to the guild that day, instead he spent the day sulking in his room mulling over the events with Lucy. Happy tried to urge him to go to the guild, but Natsu had sent him away without him. Natsu once again found himself staring at his reflection in his bathroom.

"What's wrong with me? Why did she choose Wyatt and push me away?" Natsu was perplexed; he may have his flaws, but he'd never be a cheater. That's why he was so confused, Natsu thought he was an infinite amount better than the piece of shit, but Lucy _ran_ away from him. "Geez, I didn't think that I'd be _that_ bad kissing the first time…" Natsu truthfully never really cared about relationships; he didn't have time to go looking for a girlfriend. He wanted to be stronger, he wanted to beat Gildarts; he never went out of his way to seek out a relationship. It's not like he objected to the thought, sure he wanted a family one day, but Natsu always figured the opportunity would come whenever it came. But when he met Lucy, his persona changed a bit. He never thought he could care about another person so… Romantically. It was different than what he felt for the rest of his friends, Lucy made him want to be a better person. She calmed him, she made him feel safe, and he would do absolutely _anything_ to protect her. If she wasn't in his life he'd be lost. Natsu didn't know what to do because he was just so helplessly attracted to her, she was such a good person, and now she had just pushed him away. He was afraid she was going to go back to ignoring him and he didn't know if he could take that again.

"Ugh, why did I even kiss her back! Maybe she wasn't even going for it… No… She definitely was… Agh!" Natsu yelled into the empty air. Feeling trapped in his own home, Natsu decided to take a walk, that always seemed to calm him. So, Natsu followed where his feet took him. He passed the guild, and stopped by for a brief appearance, much to Happy's delight. Levy seemed to be eyeing him sympathetically, but he brushed it off. Natsu didn't stay long when he found that Lucy wasn't in her normal seat at the bar or next to Levy, so he left and continued on. It was starting to get dark as Natsu traveled through the streets of Magnolia. He was enjoying the night, briefly forgetting his troubles, until he ended up at Lucy's doorstep again. With a sigh, Natsu decided to head up through the window. _I'm not going to have her ignoring me again. This involves me just as much as it involves her, so I'll take the initiative this time._ Natsu decided and crept up to the window. As he peered in the window, he could see Lucy in the kitchen messing around with her tea kettle, and gently swung the window open. She didn't seem to notice, so Natsu went and sat on her bed to wait. As she rounded the corner carrying a cup of hot tea, she nearly leapt out of her skin when she saw him staring at her.

"Christ!" Lucy yelped and the tea she was holding splashed onto the floor and a bit on her arm. "Ow, ow, shit! That's so hot!" Lucy desperately tried to wipe the steaming liquid off of her, and Natsu jumped up wiping her arm with his scarf.

"S-sorry… I didn't mean to scare ya." Natsu apologized.

"Well, when you creep in through the window when I'm not expecting anyone it can get a little frightening." Lucy said flatly and then a blush crept across her face. "What are you doing here."

"I think you know why. Sorry if I'm being forward, but this involves me too. I-I don't want you to feel uncomfortable or sad or anything because of everything that's happened, but I think I deserve some answers… I guess…" Natsu finished and looked anywhere but Lucy's face.

"U-um… I-I know…" Lucy sighed and set down what was left of her tea on her desk. "I just, don't-"

"Please, Luce, don't say you don't know. I think I've been more than patient with everything." Natsu didn't mean to sound so harsh, but his emotions were at an all time high and he _hated_ not being in control of something so trivial.

"Look, Natsu, I'm sorry I ki- did _that_ to you… It's just, well… You were there, and you make me feel better so… I think it was a kind of slip up. I don't know if you've ever heard of people who've been in accidents finding sudden infatuations with their savior, but that's kind of what this situation was." Lucy clarified and Natsu stiffened feeling hurt.

"So, it was just a _mistake_." Natsu put all of his effort into not growling the sentence out; still, Lucy seemed to flinch at his words.

"I don't know… Kind of… I guess. I'm sorry, I know that sounds bad. You're no rebound, that's for sure, you're my best friend, but that's kind of why I probably did it. You helped me with Wyatt, and I'll forever be grateful for that, but I guess it was the heat of the moment."

"People who are looking for a _rebound_ don't just _kiss_ their _best friends_ like _that_." Natsu emphasized his sentence with a hard stare and Lucy gulped. "You don't just kiss me like-like _that_ and then call it a mistake!Look, I'll respect whatever you want to tell yourself, and I won't force you into anything, but that certainly didn't _feel_ like a mistake. But if it was, I don't appreciate being the test dummy." Natsu frowned, he was hurt. He didn't want to make Lucy feel bad right after something so traumatizing, but the more he thought about what she said, the more he felt as though he were just being used.

"Natsu…"

"I don't want to be used, Luce. I just want you to be happy, but if it was such a mistake to you then… I dunno this is stupid." Natsu grumbled.

"I didn't mean to hurt you." Lucy murmured, her eyes cast down.

"Well, you did! I finally get you back, and you _run away from me_. It was like hell not even being able to talk to you for _four_ months! Not being near you, smelling that douchebag on you… Y-you didn't even _look_ at me, and I _finally_ get you back and you still don't want me around… You don't want me…" Natsu felt angry tears pricking at his eyes, his hair overshadowing his face.

"Natsu, I'll always want you…" Lucy approached him, her eyes swimming with emotion making Natsu look away. She reached a hand to his cheek and he leaned into it slightly. "You're not a mistake…"

"Then why do I feel like one." Natsu croaked out, trying and failing to not let his emotions get the best of him.

"It's me, I'm so stupid… So, so stupid…" Lucy quietly let the tears escape from her eyes. "You're so special to me, I'm so sorry…" Natsu shifted his weight; he didn't want Lucy to be sad and to cry, but he still felt impatient.

"What the hell am I supposed to do…" Natsu whispered feeling weak. Lucy brushed his hair back so she could stare up into his eyes. Natsu couldn't take it, she was so beautiful and he just couldn't stay made at her, he didn't have the strength. He knew it was a weak moment for her and he was just caught up in the middle of it. "I'm sorry. I understand." He muttered and stepped away from her. "I should go."

"Natsu, wait! D-don't... Don't go, please." Lucy pleaded lightly; Natsu stopped, he didn't know whether to admire or be disgusted by the fact that he was putty in her hands.

"Luce, you need time to think things out… I don't know if I can help you with anything. I did what I could." Natsu mumbled. It was then that Lucy grabbed his scarf and pulled him down, pressing her soft lips against his own. "Mm, Lucy! What are you doing?" Natsu gasped as he pushed her away lightly.

"You're not a mistake." Lucy practically glared at him and yanked him roughly back down for another kiss. "And I-I think this is right. Really, really right." With that, Lucy was kissing him like her life depended on it, and Natsu wasn't about to complain. He pulled her body closer to his and she entangled her fingers in his hair, gently pulling at his scalp. He breathed in her scent with every breath she let out, it was intoxicating. His hands moved down to her waist, gripping her as if to make sure she wouldn't disappear. They were kissing almost frantically, heated and passionate. Natsu kissed back angrily letting out his emotions that he felt earlier in the day, and Lucy kissed apologetically and strongly, as if to assure him that this is what she wanted. They broke apart briefly, panting as they stared at each other hungrily.

"You want this?" Natsu rasped, still unsure of how Lucy was feeling. Lucy nodded quickly without a doubt on her face. She sported a flushed face and messy hair from where his fingers had racked through her blonde locks. She looked absolutely gorgeous. With a guttural sound from the back of his throat, Natsu shoved Lucy gently back in the bed, pulling her to the center of it. She let out a surprised squeak and looked up at his as if he were about to devour her. Natsu hovered over her for a brief moment and then pressed his body against her, attacking her neck with his mouth this time.

"Nn… Natsu…" Lucy whimpered out, her fingernails lightly scraping his scalp as he placed sloppy kisses on her collar bone. The familiar tightness in his pants appeared as his lower body connected with Lucy's. She was moving slightly underneath him making it even harder to keep his arousal hidden.

"I'm going to erase his scent from you." Natsu growled and captured her lips once more. Natsu heard himself moan into Lucy's mouth as a wave of anticipation went through his body. Lucy's movements were getting to him bad. Lucy's hands traveled to the hem of his black tank top, urging him to take it off. Without hesitation, Natsu ripped the thin fabric from his body, throwing it in the direction of the front door, and then removed his scarf placing it safely on the bed behind Lucy's head. Her mouth hung open slightly and she stared at him with wide eyes. Natsu was beginning to feel self conscious and gave her a small pout.

"What? Do I look bad?"

"N-no, so far from that actually." Lucy blurted out and then seemed embarrassed. "Y-you look good, sorry…" Lucy gulped and Natsu smirked down at her feeling cocky. With that, Natsu pressed his bare chest to her body feeling her breasts press against his flesh. It annoyed him that the fabric of her shirt was what he was feeling instead of skin, so he roughly tried to pull her shirt off, and Lucy gave a ' _mmpf!_ ' of protest.

"H-hey! Don't rip that!" Lucy yelped and then slowly pulled it over her head, tossing it on the floor. "H-here…" Natsu was in awe; he had seen Lucy naked many times before, but under these circumstances, he was allowed to appreciate her openly. She had a lacy maroon bra on holding in her deliciously large chest, Natsu couldn't help but shove his face down into them.

"Mm… So soft…" He purred and Lucy jolted.

"H-hey, what are you doing y-you weirdo!" Lucy stammered out and Natsu pulled his face up, looking at her with lidded eyes.

"You're just so… Hot. And beautiful, and pretty, and nice." Natsu rambled laughing at his own words. "You're just so great, Luce." Lucy looked at him with a bright smile and then looked at him with desire.

"My turn." Lucy suddenly gripped his shoulders, pushing him to the bed, and straddled his hips, her hands on his torso. "I'm sorry for doubting you earlier… But I want you to know how much a care about you, and how much you mean to me."

"I know." Natsu breathed out and Lucy bent down and placed a small kiss on his lips.

"Forgive me?" Lucy asked in a sultry voice making Natsu's groin pulse.

"O-okay." Natsu stammered out dumbly and Lucy smiled. She placed kisses on his chest and up his neck making Natsu hold his breath; the sensation was too surreal. His hands went to her waist once more as she ground her hips on his; he was sure Lucy felt his full erection by now. She seized his lips, gripping the sides of his face tightly, and Natsu's hands made their way to Lucy's butt, squeezing her tightly. Her tongue danced on his lips until he opened his mouth giving her full access. Natsu had never kissed anyone before, but he was sure that this was the best that it would get. He moaned once more as her hips shifted on his dick making it twitch in response.

"L-Luce… Y-you're killing me." Natsu whined breathlessly as he eyed his lower half.

"Oh!" Lucy peeped out and looked at him shyly. Then, without warning, she got up and jerked his pants down, releasing his member fully, only bound by his black underwear. Natsu instinctively covered himself self consciously, until he saw Lucy removing her own pants. She stood there, in front of him, in just her underwear and tousled hair.

"An angel, I swear…" Natsu muttered and sprang up, pulling Lucy back onto the bed. Lucy yelped and then giggled as Natsu focused his attention on her neck. To his pleasure, Lucy's hand made its way down his body and began stroking his dick with teasingly slow caresses.

"Nng…" Natsu groaned out; it was one thing if he were touching himself, but when Lucy did it, he could barely find his bearings. "Y-you're so…" Natsu moaned out again, kissing her roughly. He placed a palm over her left breast, and was annoyed to find the sheer fabric of her bra. So, he shoved his hand underneath the wire band, and started gently stroking and squeezing Lucy's chest. He found that when he passed over her nipple, that seemed to get the biggest response from her.

"Ahh, Natsu…! Mm…" Lucy hummed, her grip on his penis tightening. Natsu couldn't stand it any longer, he _needed_ Lucy right then.

"Luce-" Natsu began, but before he was able to finish his sentence, there was a hard knock at Lucy's front door. The pair froze and stared wide eyed at the door. "Expecting anyone?"

"No." Came Lucy's annoyed reply.

"Lucy! Open up, we need to make sure you're okay!" Erza's voice came muffled from behind the door.

"Oh shit." Lucy gulped and Natsu stiffened.

"Yeah, Lu, I thought you'd show up at the guild after I talked to you!" Levy whined.

"Juvia is here too…"

"C'mon, Lucy! I brought the booze, it's time to make you feel real good!" Cana laughed and Natsu heard bottles clanking.

"U-uh, I'm fine!" Lucy called and frantically scrambled off the bed making Natsu groan.

"What the hell are they doing here?" Natsu hissed and Lucy shrugged.

"They were worried; I guess?"

"Lucy, are you with someone?" Erza demanded and Lucy spun around in a circle.

"What do I do?" Lucy mouthed to him and Natsu felt his stomach drop. _This is just not my day._


End file.
